


Puppy Love: First Meetings

by boxbubble



Series: Puppy Love [1]
Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Community: mcfassy, Crack, Interspecies, Kittens, M/M, Puppies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-09-09
Updated: 2011-09-09
Packaged: 2017-10-23 13:50:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/251007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boxbubble/pseuds/boxbubble
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU McFassy. Michael has a crush on his hot new neighbor. Because of my need to see a non-angtsy portrayal of Anne-Marie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Puppy Love: First Meetings

**Author's Note:**

> I have no excuses.
> 
> Originally posted on the McFassy Comm [here](http://mcfassy.livejournal.com/70209.html#cutid1) re-edited version for archive in AO3.

  
Michael lounges on the steps, head tilted back and resting, he glances up periodically from his position to survey the goings on in the neighborhood. People watching is a guilty pleasure of his, although he tries not to be too obvious or creepy about it. A sentiment Raven, his costar, claims take’s all the fun out of it, demonstrating by unnerving one of the stage hands enough to spill coffee all over himself with her flat, amber eyed version of the thousand yard stare.

He’s momentarily distracted by the sounds of a group of girls going past him, hearing them giggling about his long and lean frame and how beautiful his hair is almost makes him get back up and return inside. But he decides to ignore it in lieu of the soothing sunlight filtering through the clouds, baking the sore muscles in his side from the misaimed acrobatic stunt he attempted during rehearsal. The resulting undignified heap he ended in had him glad no one had been filming at the time.

Besides, today there is more activity on the street than usual and his curiosity is peaked. He glimpses movement in and out of the house next door, people dressed in work clothes carrying boxes and furniture into the flat that has been empty for the past three months ever since the Schröder’s and their obnoxiously loud, possibly inbred, Doberman left. Seeing a kennel being brought in as well, he hopes the new neighbors have a cat this time. He’s decidedly biased on the subject and his experiences with “Bacon” have not improved matters much in that department. His German may be a little rusty but that dog just could not grasp that he didn’t want to be tackled and chomped on every time he went out his front door.

A woman with short bobbed blonde hair exits one of the vans parked in front. He’s surprised to find he recognizes her as a fellow actress from an informal meeting about the “End the Cruelty” awareness campaign they are due to be working on together. Michael’s attention however is jerked to the tightly leashed energy of her companion, bouncing in place and practically vibrating with his enthusiasm. Following close behind her the short, dark haired fellow turns in a circle, unusually bright blue eyes taking in the surroundings while narrating his thoughts to the woman (Anne-Marie his mind finally supplies). He’s yappy and excitable in a way that should be annoying but ends up endearing with something of a Scottish brogue accentuating his rrrr’s and the woman smiles fondly at the wild antics aimed at her.

The joyful chatter and dorky bodily gestures tugs at something inside him and Michael feels a delirious desire to go over and pounce on him immediately, if only to still the movement a little. He wants to hate the guy on sight for stirring such unnatural feelings inside himself, but he has to admit that in some dark, hitherto unknown corner of his traitorous kitty heart, his new neighbor has quite possibly the cutest tail he has ever seen. With a delightfully curled tip that he has an uncontrollable urge to groom straight.

The black and white teacup Dachshund is literally small enough to fit in the curve of one paw and that adorable tail is busy shaking his ass at everyone in the neighborhood in a way no self-respecting cat would be caught dead at, but is nonetheless extremely distracting to Michael. After pricking himself with his claws in an attempt to slap what he is absolutely certain is a doofy expression off his face, Michael retreats through the window before he does something insane and shamefully doggish like sticking his nose right against his new neighbor’s soft furry butt.

-

James looks up from where he is playfully tonguing Anne-Marie’s hands while she tries and fails to push him off her shin just in time to see a gorgeous Savannah cat leap gracefully from a railing through the open window of the place next door. The flash of spots seems to stretch on forever along with the body before disappearing beneath the sill. He feels his mouth go dry midswipe as his owner laughingly picks him up, and he distractedly peeks over her shoulder as she mutters about how spoiled he is and that he’s lucky he’s cute. He notes the large doggy (kitty?) door attached to the two-story building where his new best friend lives at, already planning his escape for the night.

-

It turns out James has greatly underestimated Anne-Marie’s appreciation of his wily nature when four feet of chicken wire is added to the perimeter of the fence, filling in any gaps with a good six inches sunk into the ground to prevent digging under. When not even his most wobbly, tear filled moist puppy eyes can distract her enough to get him off the leash during their walks, he decides drastic measures are needed. Dragging a roller-skate up through the attic window, James takes a moment to debate the intelligence of his next move but on seeing the shocked wide green eyes of his puppy crush looking directly at him from across the way, he takes the plunge.

-

Michael is sure that he’s just lost about two of his nine lives when he sees the dachshund (that he is NOT obsessively spying on dammit, he just likes staring out the west facing windows lately) pause with one paw on a skate about to slide down the roof. The stupid mutt actually has the audacity to look him straight in the eye with those surreally blue peepers, wink and loll his tongue out before taking a running jump onto the wheeled deathtrap.

-

Everything goes pretty swimmingly, all things considered. The wind whistles around him, pinning his ears and tongue back like the best car window ride ever, then he’s suddenly airborne, stubby legs stretched out and sailing through the sky before going nosefirst into the hedges between the buildings. James spends some time acclimating himself to the thought that he’s still alive before scrambling and eventually rolling off the bush onto something warm, fluffy and yowling.

-

Michael races down through the house like his tail is on fire, images of his poor puppy splattered across the lawn shuttering through his mind like a nightmarish film reel. He hits the kitty door full force tipping arse over whisker down the landing and onto the grass. Jumping up he looks immediately to the ground, scanning desperately for any scattered doggy parts, racing to the fence before feeling something rebound off the back of his neck. Yelling in a dignified manner (no matter what James says afterwards he did not screech) he manages to hop to the top of the six foot fence dividing the properties. Looking down he sees his puppy laying there dazed, spitting out a mouthful of needles and twigs.

Peering up at him, the dog breaks out into a large grin. “Hi, I’m James. I’ve just moved in next door and I’ve been dying to meet you.” Torn between being flattered and dumbfounded Michael finds himself replying weakly “Michael… nice to meet you too.”

At the exultant look on James’ face Michael has a sinking premonition that his new neighbor is even more mentally challenged then his last one was.

-

Michael is apparently a movie star; just like his owner (James always knew he had a taste for the pretty ones). And even better they will be involved together in a public service announcement against animal abuse, which means there will be a lot of legitimate reasons for him to visit Michael on set with Anne-Marie. Michael also tells him that he’s just been cast in a big summer action blockbuster as the psycho cat of some crazy awesome nazi-hunting metal-bender. James loves science fiction movies with an adulation bordering on fanaticism so he knows exactly which film Michael is speaking about. His breathless bark turns into something more resembling a squeal as he can’t help his excitement over the idea of seeing his sexy neighbor clawing out some baddies eyes out. If Michael seems to preen a little bit more at James attention he pretends not to notice (although he is secretly charmed by it), it isn’t as if Michael doesn’t have more than enough looks to flaunt afterall.

-

He honestly can’t believe his luck when he sees his costar Anne Marie with his new friend/possible future boyfriend (paws crossed) at the ad campaign. Michael knew that he was working with James’ owner but never thought that the sneaky little puppy would be able to convince her to bring him to work with her. James immediately jumps out of her arms pulling on his leash to get to him.

Ignoring the makeup artist currently brushing out his coat, he leaps off the counter to meet him half way, touching noses for a quick cuddle. The sudden burst of “awwws” from the surrounding humans brings him back to himself and he attempts to pull an aloof expression. This doesn’t work nearly as well as he imagines when James walks completely underneath him before proceeding to chew and drool all over his freshly washed tail-tip.

He wants to be annoyed but is a little shocked that James is so short that standing over him on all four paws there is clearance between his belly and the top of James’ head. He’s also a little reluctant to end the blissful look on the dachshund’s face even though he wants to tell him to stop because he needs it for balance and maybe cry a little because he can feel the dripping slobber and the whole thing is just disgustingly unhygienic.

Speaking of dirty though, Michael eyes James perky but dusty backside, he can tell that he’s been rolling in the grass again. The temptation is too much and Michael justifies to himself that he’s only trying to be a good friend and teach him proper bathing skills, before pinning James to the ground as he grooms him to within an inch of his life (if he maybe spends a little more time on James’ butt than is strictly necessary, at least the only one who can tell is Raven who is looking equal parts horrified and amused at the tableaus).

-

Anne-Marie is nearly choking on her own saliva as she attempts to stifle her no doubt demented cackles (only a fellow pet lover could possibly understand her glee she thinks distractedly as a few of the staff give her a wide berth) while hurriedly taking photo after photo with her phone, already planning to update her doggy website as soon as she gets home. On seeing James' hunted expression as he realizes he can’t get out from under Michael’s claws and the cat’s almost manically intent focus fixed on licking the fur off her puppies hind leg, she thinks about changing the domain name.

Maybe from “James’ Puppy Eyes Corner” to “True Wuv: A Puppy-Kitty Tail”

**Author's Note:**

> More parts will follow shortly and I want to apologize for crazy!animal lover Anne-Marie but in my defense the cuteness of a puppy!James would probably scramble the brains of most anyone.
> 
> Savannah cats are one of the largest breeds of house cats being a hybrid between a wild serval and a domestic cat.
> 
> Dappled dachshunds do occasionally have blue eyes.
> 
> Animal choices based on the premise that Michael is graceful:
> 
> and James is adorable but… not.
> 
> Gifs are not mine.  
> 


End file.
